Miniblogging: Tumblr

Tuesday, January 20, 2004

THE SUN SHINES - BUT DIMLY: Bizarre, The Sun's pip-pap-pop column is questioning Dido's eligibility for a Brit Award. Victoria Newton (or rather, whoever prepares the column for her) can't get her head around why Dido is eligible for British (rather than the International) awards - not on the grounds that her music is so flat, featureless and ordinary it shouldn't be considered for awards unless they're being sponsored by Laura Ashley, but because she gives her nationality as "Irish" on some documents. This, concludes Victoria, is "dodgy". Has the Sun still not got its head round the Ireland Act 1949? It's had over half a century to understand the not-very-difficult situation where the United Kingdom doesn't treat the Irish Republic as a foreign country, and so anyone who is a citizen of the Republic is considered to be a British Citizen as well. Consequently, they can apply for a British passport - if they wish. The Sun admits that Dido holds a British passport (which they suggest is "lucky", rather than a right held by anyone who comes from her country), so we're not sure what problem they think they've found. She has a British Passport, therefore has British Citizenship, and therefore is as eligible for a Brit as Annie Lennox.